OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh softball team took on UW-Whitewater on Wednesday afternoon (April 16) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park, splitting the doubleheader with a 1-0 loss and a 9-1 win in six innings. The run-rule win was the first over the Warhawks for the Titans at home in program history.
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The Titans (25-3, 3-1 WIAC), ranked 11th in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, tallied 16 hits to the No. 20 Warhawks' (22-4, 1-1 WIAC) eight. UW-Oshkosh stranded 10 batters against UW-Whitewater's seven and both teams committed an error in the first game.
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In game one,
Amanda Martineck (So. • Frankfort, Ill.) was 2-for-3 at the dish with a double.
Cali Divito (Sr. • Inverness, Ill.) also notched a double in game one as she was 1-for-3 at the plate and
Lizzie Slobodecki (Sr. • Carol Stream, Ill.) stole her second base of the season.
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In the circle to start the opener was
Sydney Nemetz (Sr. • Marinette). Nemetz pitched a gem by going the distance, pitching all seven innings. She struck out three batters and gave up just one run, suffering the loss and moving her record to 10-2 on the season.
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Game one's lone run came in the top of the first inning when Whitewater scored on a throw to catch a runner stealing.
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Oshkosh reached second base three times in the contest but couldn't advance a runner further.
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In game two,
Haylie Wittman (Jr. • Kaukauna) was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, knocked in a run, and scored twice.
Sydney Rau (Fifth • Downers Grove, Ill.) was solid in game two going 2-for-3, driving in two runs, and scoring twice. Martineck sent in a pair of RBIs on 1-for-3 from the plate.
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Grace Nardi (Fr. • Marquette, Mich.) started game two for the Titans. She tossed four innings, struck out two, gave up two hits and one unearned run before collecting the win to move her to 7-0 on the year.
Brianna Bougie (So. • Oshkosh) pitched in relief for Oshkosh. In two scoreless innings of work, she struck out two and earned the save, her fifth this year.
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Game two had more action with 10 total runs scored, nine of which crossed the plate in Oshkosh's favor.
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Abby Garceau (Sr. • Mishicot) got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning. After
Sarah Hammerton (So. • Appleton) walked and stole second base, she singled to center field to score Hammerton.
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Whitewater responded the top of the third by scoring off an error to tie the game at a run apiece.
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Oshkosh added two more runs to its tally in the bottom of the third. Wittman knocked a leadoff single and advanced to second on a
Sydney Rau single and third on a Divito sacrifice bunt. She beat out the throw home when
Morgan Rau (Fifth • Downers Grove, Ill.) reached on a fielder's choice.
Sydney Rau made the score 3-1 on Martineck's sacrifice fly to center field.
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In the fourth, Wittman singled to push the Titans' lead to three by scoring
Mary Kate Quaid (Fr. • Aurora, Ill.). Quaid pinch hit for designated player
Morgan Miller (Jr. • Schaumburg, Ill.), singling to center field. She moved around the base path when Garceau laid down a sacrifice bunt and
Sophie Wery (Sr. • Seymour) singled through the left side.
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The Titans walked off the shortened conference contest, plating five on five hits, a walk, and an error in the bottom of the sixth. Quaid again led off the frame with a single. She was pinch ran for by
Olivia Baugnet (Fr. • De Pere) who scored from first on Wery's double to left center. Wittman moved her to third with a double of her own and both crossed the plate on
Sydney Rau's single. Martineck scored
Sydney Rau with a single and
Morgan Rau, who reached on a walk, tallied the Titans' ninth run when Hammerton poked the ball between the Warhawks' second baseman's legs.
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The Titans will next gear up for a road trip to River Falls to take on the Falcons (16-12, 1-3 WIAC) on Saturday (April 19) at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Faye Perkins Softball Stadium.